Hi All,
I want to explain my thread about spending a day at Childrens Hospital. My 14 yo son broke his leg bad last Friday night and our regular Orthopedic surgeon (great guy) recommended we take him there.

It's pretty bad when you're on a first name basis with an Ortho guy but when you've got four boys who play sports I guess it's par for the course.

Well I was feeling bad for the boy and got in a whiny mood about my own predicament considering that my 16 yo finished up his last appointment for a shattered collarbone. That is until the next day when I walked around the hospital and saw very sick and hurting children everywhere. My problems were put into their insignificant perspective immediately.

Anyway here's an image of the break. My son requested copies. Omitted are the two steel rods that run down the full length of the tibia because the xray was shot before they inserted them.

Oh, thanks for the kind replies and God Bless all those kids still there.

Not to worry, that's what we're ALL here for. I'm running around with a right arm with two 10" strips of stainless steel and 8 some odd screws holding me together. (Really don't recommend taking a two story header on to your driveway. Fall doesn't hurt at all ... but the sudden stop at the end ..... )

Ssully,
Thanks for the explaination, I had been wondering what turn of events had you making that post anyways. Glad that it turned out ok, even if he has a few pounds of Stainless Steel in him. Hope his healing is speedy!

Nick

By the way, with all that metal, do they still give out cards stating that you had the surgery? Reason I ask is, the metal detectors at airports are pretty turned up these days, and I know in the passed, with knee replacements and what not, that they gave a card to allow for the beeping and buzzing at the airport.

"By the way, with all that metal, do they still give out cards stating that you had the surgery? Reason I ask is, the metal detectors at airports are pretty turned up these days, and I know in the passed, with knee replacements and what not, that they gave a card to allow for the beeping and buzzing at the airport."

That was a concern of mine too. The Doc's use a stainless steel of some type which is really pretty 'non-magnetic.' (If they used a carbon steel you'd light the place up like Los Vegas. Also a carbon steel might 'rust.'). But now with everyone getting "wanded" before you get on the plane I've already got my coat off and sleave rolled up to show them the scars.
fe

Ssully,
My thoughts are with you and your boy. With all the talk of hero's this year I'll tell you my 12 year old son, Ian is mine. We, he, is on the tail end of treament for leukemia. Nothing puts things into perspective more than hurting kids. I will say this, I have learned more about character, and quiet stoicism from my son than any other single thing in my life.